Have you noticed a larger variety of female voices in your anime in the last few years? If you have, well, good ear! Also, there’s a reason: the number of woman voice actors in Japan has just about quadrupled since 2001. That’s the word from …Read more »
Content Warning: Mention of suicidal thoughts. Being an actor isn’t all glitz and glamour. The Japan Actors Union, which has approximately 2,600 members, recently did a survey looking into the mental health of actors and voice actors in the country. Some of the results were concerning. …Read more »
You’d think voice actors would just have to sound good. But these days, Japan’s seiyuu increasingly appear at events and on TV, meaning there’s increasing pressure to look good too. Is this fair? The latest person to weigh in on the question is Mitsuo Iwata, …Read more »
Kizuna AI has been a major force in Japanese fandom over the last few years. The top VTuber went from virtual gamer and commentator to global celebrity and ambassador. She has her own Nendoroids, has appeared in live concerts and video game collaborations, and even …Read more »
If you’ve met voice actors at an event, you may have asked them to say some lines in character for yourself or a friend — and more often than not, they’ll do so without hesitation. (Especially if you’re talking to Solid Snake voice actor David …Read more »
Internet etiquette is kind of weird, even at the best of times. What flies on Tumblr is a major faux pas on Twitter; what’s a compliment in English is a baffling insult in Japanese. So it’s no surprise that, once in a while, we’ll see someone …Read more »
Things are a long way from normal in Japan, but efforts by health professionals and citizens doing their best to stay home have led to a reduction in cases in Tokyo and elsewhere. Meanwhile, it looks like anime voice actors, who were largely on standby …Read more »
There’s nothing quite like stumbling upon lost ephemera loosely related to anime’s past, especially when it involves what sounds like Evangelion characters delivering a PSA about the AIDS virus. Dub cast members Tiffany Grant and Spike Spencer—who voice Asuka and Shinji, respectively—provided the voices for …Read more »
At this point, it doesn’t take long for a meme to run its course, double back, and completely lap itself a few times before dying completely. Over the weekend, an attendee of Minneapolis convention Galaxy Con took the “OK Boomer” meme—which started with a simple …Read more »
In a recent blog and Facebook update from Kyousei Tsukui (Johan in Black Blood Brothers, Chōji in Tamako Market, Straight Cougar in S-CRY-ed), the voice actor revealed that he was recently diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a disease that leads to the death of neurons that control voluntary …Read more »
In an article from Buzzfeed Japan published this week, a Japanese voice actress working in anime, video games and other media detailed the sexual and power harassment she and others have faced. The voice actress, identified as Ms. K, told Buzzfeed that “compared to the past, things …Read more »
If you’ve been watching anime for a while, you probably don’t even flinch at the voice acting. No matter how dramatic or ridiculous some voices may be, it’s just the way it is, right? For some, though, anime voice acting is in a world of its …Read more »
Kotono Mitsuishi has one of anime’s most well-known voices. She’s played iconic roles like Usagi in Sailor Moon, Misato in Evangelion and Juri in Utena. Now the veteran voice actress is taking on a new challenge: she’s making her first appearance on camera. Mitsuishi will have a guest role …Read more »
It’s hard out there for a voice actor these days. In addition to, you know, voice acting, you have to appear at live events, on the radio, and a whole host of other “extracurricular” activities. At the same time, you’ve got fans on all ends …Read more »
The best way to make sure a theme park attraction is faithful is to let the stars of its source material experience it for themselves. That’s exactly what went down at Universal Studios Japan on June 22 when seven of the lead voice actors from …Read more »
Matt Schley
Danica Davidson
Kara Dennison
Joseph Luster
